The view from my deck.
Would that we were through with Weinergate. Every other day we have to endure another photo dump. The only reason this continues to drag on and on is because the title character in this little psychodrama defiantly refuses to do the obvious thing. And I know I don’t have to remind you that if this were a Republican scandal, it would already be last month’s news. Literally.
Hot Air: Weiner watch: Dems shift to denial as porn star tells media Weiner should resign:
Also, it’s a little hard to ignore the scandal when Gloria Allred is holding press conferences on behalf of a porn star who wants to discuss dozens of messages from Weiner. The big news from the presser was that Ginger Lee alleges that Weiner asked her to lie, and often talked about his “package” in his e-mails. The result? The porn star no longer has much confidence in him and he should resign:
Ginger Lee, flanked by her celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, told a news conference in New York, that Weiner “asked me to lie” about their interchanges which included about 100 emails as well as messages over Twitter.
Lee, a stripper, said her relationship began with the Democratic lawmaker from New York over political issues such as a woman’s right to choose abortion, and health care, but that Weiner kept trying to turn the conversation sexual.
She said she never reciprocated his lewd messages, which were often about “his package.”
“I think that Anthony Weiner should resign because he lied. He lied to the public and the press for more than a week,” she said. “If he lied about this, I can’t have much faith in him about anything else.”
Gloria Allred? Yeah, that strategy of ignoring the story is totally going to work now.
Michelle Malkin reminds us of Capitol Hill’s Other Dirty Laundry:
The House Ethics Committee is now reportedly probing into Twitter-holic Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiner’s possible abuse of government resources while sending pervy messages and photos to young women across the country. The latest batch of Weiner’s leaked social-media self-portraits — more cheesecake than beefcake — showed him in various states of undress at the congressional gym. From what other public buildings has Ick-arus tweeted his junk? And how much time on the public’s dime did his government staff spend coaching Weiner girls to assist with damage control?
Don’t expect an answer from the House ethics watchdogs until after Weiner’s first child enters kindergarten. The wheels of justice grind more slowly there than a dial-up modem.
Weiner’s dirty laundry is just the latest addition to a teeming heap of scandal. To wit: The committee still hasn’t issued a final report into last year’s reckless Capitol Hill predator du jour, former Democratic New York Rep. Eric Massa. He’s the notorious creep who serially groped male staffers and subjected interns to “tickle fights” for months while then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked the other way.
Then there’s Beltway swamp queen Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters. Last summer, after a yearlong investigation, the House Ethics Committee charged her with three violations related to her crony intervention on behalf of minority-owned OneUnited Bank in Los Angeles. The panel accused Waters of bringing discredit to the House for using her influence to seek and secure taxpayer-subsidized special favors for the failing financial institution. Her Democratic guardians have successfully delayed a trial for 10 months.
Keep reading, she’s just getting started.
***
Michelle Malkin also covers the other big news story of the day: Document drop: More Project Gunrunner fit hits the shan:
Here are the e-mails:6 15 11 Melson Docs
The LA Times covers the outrage of federal ATF agents rebuffed by their superiors over the fatal consequences of the program:
Federal gun agents in Arizona — convinced that “someone was going to die” when their agency allowed weapons sales to suspected Mexican drug traffickers — made anguished pleas to be permitted to make arrests but were rebuffed, according to a new congressional report on the controversial law enforcement probe.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told congressional investigators that there was “a state of panic” that the guns used in the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in January and two U.S. agents in Mexico a month later might have been sold under the U.S. surveillance operation.
“I used the word anxiety. The term I used amongst my peers is pucker factor,” Larry Alt, special agent with ATF’s Phoenix field division, told investigators preparing a joint staff report for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The report will be released Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Neither of those shootings was ultimately linked to the “Fast and Furious” probe, though two weapons sold to a suspect under surveillance were found at the scene of the fatal shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near Nogales, Ariz., in December.
***
Ace: War Power Play: Legislators Sue Over Libya
Brazen: White House Warns That Any Congressional Input Into War May Send “Mixed Messages” About
WarLimited Kinetic ActionA bipartisan group of ten. Alas, they’re letting Kucinich give out quotes.
“With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated. We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who led the 10-member anti-war coalition with Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.).
They specifically challenge this idea that a foreign treaty organization may substitute for Congress in the war-declaration procedure, a bad idea that was dumb when it was first floated, what? In 1950? In 1946? There was a debate on this in Congress, during the United Nations creation/treaty discussion, as to whether US troops would come with their Declarations of War pre-authorized by creation of a UN now authorized to command them into war.
***
I don’t have to remind you that many of us tried to warn voters about Obama’s radical associations before the election, but it fell on deaf ears.
The home of radical Hatem Abudayyeh, a friend of Barack Obama, was raided in the terror sweep.
Hatem Abudayyeh is the executive director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN). Hatem Abudayyeh has been with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) since 1999, and was appointed Executive Director in 2003. The Arab American Action Network was founded by former PLO operative and close Obama family friend Rashid Khalidi. Obama was a director of the Woods Fund from 1994 through 2001, when the board approved a $40,000 grant to the Arab American Action Network.
In 2003 Barack Obama was an honored guest at a dinner sponsored by the AAAN for former PLO-operative Rashid Khalidi. During the dinner a video was taken that shows Barack Obama celebrating with members of this Palestinian group who are openly hostile towards Israel. Barack Obama even gave a toast to a Rashid Khalidi at this going away party. The LA Times will not release the video from this Jew-bashing dinner.
Keep reading.
Now might be a good time to revisit Sean Hannity’s groundbreaking: History of Radicalism six part series.
***
Moonbattracker: Video: Guy in Pink Dress Menaces MacIver Intern At Madison Protest:
Tempers flared in the wake of the WI Supreme Court ruling in favor of Governor Walker’s collective bargaining law, and when a MacIver intern, there to film the protest, answered the question “Who are you with?”, things got ugly.
The following is raw, unedited footage of the incident at the Wisconsin State Capitol, 6/14/2011: (Watch video at site.)
Keith Koffler, WHD: Mr. President, You’re Our Guy!
President Obama made me very sad. He said during a fundraiser last night in Miami that it was over between him and people like me.
If you’re looking for just a bunch of partisan rhetoric, I’m probably not your guy.
And I thought, gosh, what will I do? I’m looking for a bunch of partisan rhetoric, but the president is above that sort of thing, and now I got nothing. He’s cerebral, hopeful, changeful, and that kind of good stuff, not a like a politician at all.
I was concerned I might have to start hanging out Nancy Pelosi or Tom DeLay, people who aren’t afraid to step on the pedal and rev up the partisan rhetoric a bit.
But then I got me to thinking, and it occurred to me, there really isn’t a problem! There’s no daylight at all between my desire for mindless partisan rhetoric and President Obama. In fact, he’s spoken lots of it himself!
Don’t worry, Mr. President, it’s going to be okay. Speaking for myself and all the other vitriolic, thoughtless partisans out there, I want to tell you: You’re still our guy!
Here’s a sample of some of the things the president has said, just to show you why I feel so much better. I’m mean, there’s so much there that will bind us together: (Keep reading at link as Koffler lists the many ways Obama doesn’t disappoint.)
From the desk of Rep Joe Walsh, IL-8: Eating away at the American Dream
See also:
Walsh Announces Subcommittee Hearing to Examine the Impact of Dodd-Frank Act on Small Business Lending THURSDAY:
On Thursday, June 16th, Growth, Capital Access and Taxes Subcommittee Chairman Joe Walsh (R-IL) will hold a hearing entitled, The Dodd-Frank Act: Impact on Small Business Lending.
Small community banks and credit unions are traditionally the number one lender to small businesses. But they are being prevented from granting new loans to small businesses due to burdensome financial regulations, specifically the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Without this traditional way of accessing capital, small businesses are unable to grow and create jobs. This hearing will examine these regulations as witnesses will discuss the direct impact of the new Dodd-Frank law on their ability to lend to small businesses.
Along with Dodd-Frank, many financial institutions are facing increasing pressure from federal regulators concerned about additional bank failures. This increased pressure is hampering small business lending since regulations fall disproportionately strongly on small businesses. Witnesses will discuss this disproportionate burden and further regulatory uncertainty and offer solutions to minimize the burdens.
Wow…more Dem legislation that is having a deleterious effect on the economy. Who could have predicted it?
***
Awesome video at Verum Serum: American Crossroads Ad: Shovel Ready
Just don’t read John’s commentary: “Is this fair”?…
Are you freaking kidding me, John? You are too nice, mister. Too, too nice. Everything this President has done has been bad for the economy. His disastrous, wasteful spending is driving us to bankruptcy. His drilling moratorium killed thousands of jobs… increased regulations, along with the horrifying prospects of whatever else he has planned, have made businesses too freaked out to hire.
Yes it’s entirely fair.
Nice Deb 